Miss Scarlett in the kitchen with...

...Colonel Mustard’s Condiments!

“Condiments are like old friends – highly thought of, but often taken for granted.”

– Marilyn Kaytor was an American journalist, editor and author internationally known for writing about cooking, style, and fashion.

Today I want to talk to you about pickles! Not something you say very often but they have become very dear to us here at Scarlett & Mustard HQ over the past few months as we have recently launched our new pickles, marmalades and relishes to add to our growing range of condiments.

The definition of a condiment is ‘a spice, sauce, or other food preparation that is added to food to impart a particular flavour, to enhance its flavour, or in some cultures, to complement the dish.’ Their importance cannot be under estimated especially if the food they are complementing is not to your taste and can often get you out of a pickle!

In the 80s health authorities in America encouraged people to practice ‘safe sex’ – stay with me on this one, you’ll see where I’m going in a minute – they encouraged people to practice ‘safe sex’ and ‘to always use a condom’. Towards the end of the 80s, restaurants parodied this with ‘Be Safe: use condiments’ or ‘Practice safe eating – always use condiments’. See where I was going now?

Practice safe eating – always use condiments!

I once heard of someone on ‘Come Dine with Me’ who turned up at a fellow competitor’s house for dinner with a bottle of ketchup hidden in their handbag. Now, I am not necessarily suggesting that you follow suit nor am I suggesting that you take them with you if you are worried about your host’s cooking abilities (although they do make great presents) but I am suggesting that they are a very important to have in our larder at all times as they can turn a meagre lunch, supper or a last minute picnic into something a little bit special!

Delia Smith loves her pickles telling us that “they are great way of enjoying summer produce in the depths of winter”.

Now back to our own new range of condiments, pickles, relishes – call them what you will. The first ones to launch are our Red Onion Marmalade and our Ploughman’s Pickle and stand proudly alongside our established and favourite of Colonel Mustard, Chilli Jam.

These three can add an interesting twist to a variety of meals. Add the Chilli Jam to liven up a Spaghetti Bolognese. Brighten a week night Toad in the Hole with the Red Onion Marmalade and for a quick working lunch Ploughman’s Pickle does wonders for a Cheese Toastie.

Go on try some of Colonel Mustard’s Bit on the Side! He’ll be so pleased.